The present invention relates to an optical scanning device; more particularly, to a device in which scanning is performed by reciprocating linear or continuous rotary movement of a ray-deflecting element.
Optical scanning is well-known in which an image produced by an optical system is moved across an image plane typically including a photodetector. Optical scanning has many civilian as well as military uses. Present optical scanners include galvanometer-based devices. In the galvanometer based devices, the scanning movement is produced by a beam-deflecting element such as a flat mirror, which is angularly deflected, oscillating about an axis perpendicular to the optical axis by a galvanometer-type drive (e.g. moving-coil, moving-magnet drive). In these scanners, also known as galvo-based scanners, the oscillating mirror usually constitutes a pupil of the optical scanning system. Consequently there is substantial beam excursion across the system aperture, causing optical aberrations such as coma, distortion and field curvature. Therefore, these optical systems usually are substantially larger than diameters of scanned beams and are complex in order reduce the different optical aberrations. To compensate for these aberrations one or more of the following is required: an additional optical element, such as an F-θ (theta) objective lens or a flattening lens; an axial movement of imaging lens for field curvature compensation and non-linear scanning. An F-theta lens satisfies the condition that the image height equals the product of the focal length of the objective and the scanning angle θ (theta). A flattening lens is usually located close to the scanned plane and corrects field curvature relative to the required flat field. These optical systems typically require several aspherical surfaces (increasing cost) and provide at best no more than average resolution. A second known disadvantage of the galvo-based scanners is the relatively large mass, especially for large beam diameters, and, consequently, large inertia of the oscillating system, which, especially with wide beams, strictly limits the scanning frequency. Owing to the fact that scanning mirror mass is directly proportional to the cube of aperture, effective scanning can be performed only at small apertures. Therefore, additional optical systems (telescopes for infinite conjugate and lens systems for finite conjugate) are usually utilized for transforming large apertures of incident beams into narrow parallel beams for purposes of angular scanning.
Rotating reflecting polygons are usually utilized for continuous light beam scanning. The use of polygons has an advantage of high angular scanning velocity. However, as in galvanometer-based scanning, there is the substantial beam excursion across the system aperture, since the rotating mirror usually constitutes a pupil of the optical scanning system. Therefore, these optical systems usually are substantially larger than diameters of scanned beams, even more than galvanometric-based scanning systems, and complicated for purposes of different optical aberrations compensation (e.g. spherical aberration, coma, distortion, field curvature aberration). Additional drawbacks of polygon-based scanning systems are low scanning efficiency and pupil's wandering, both due to polygon geometry.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,429,423 discloses a device for optical scanning, including a Porro prism or equivalent intersecting mirrors whereby an incident beam of light undergoes two reflections, and an optical system i.e. an objective capable of forming an image of an object. An optical axis, passing through a Porro prism, is rotated by 180° and exits in the opposite direction offset from its entrance point. The two reflections cause two ninety degree folds of the optical axis so that the incident and exit optical axes are parallel (or collinear) on the same side of the Porro prism. An additional optical element is required to unfold at least one of the incident or exit optical axes. Furthermore in order to separate the entrance and exit beams a relatively long optical path is required inside the Porro prism, hence a Porro prism does not support a large numerical aperture.
There is thus a need for, and it would be highly advantageous, to have an optical scanner which overcomes the disadvantages of prior art optical scanners and specifically an optical scanner in which the optical path is small allowing high numerical aperture with small optical elements and without additional optical elements required to separate the incident and exit beams.
The term “pre-objective” scanning system as used herein refers to an optical system in which a scanning element is placed before the focusing objective lens e.g. F-theta scan lens A flat focal plane is preferably obtained at the focus position of the objective lens. The pre-objective scanning system is advantageous in terms of scanning speed, while both scanning field size and spot size are limited heavily by the lens design.
The term “post-objective” scanning system as used herein refers to an optical system in which a scanning element is placed after the focusing lens. The post-objective optical scanner employs a focusing lens typically having a simple design, however the point of focus, in general, is on a curved surface. Accordingly, the curvature of image must be corrected when the post-objective optical scanner is employed.
The term “telecentric” or “telecentricity” as used herein is a property of certain multi-element lens designs in which the chief rays for all points across the object or image are collimated. For example, telecentricity occurs when the chief rays are parallel to the optical axis, in object and/or image space. Another way of describing telecentricity is to state that the entrance pupil and/or exit pupil of the system is located at infinity.
The term “numerical aperture” referring to a lens or an optical system as used herein is n·sin θ, where n is index of refraction of the medium and θ is the half-angle of the maximum cone of light that can enter or exit the lens. In general, θ is the angle of the real marginal ray in the system. The term “high numerical aperture” as used herein refers to a numerical aperture greater than 0.4 or greater than 0.5.
The term “angularly separated” is used herein as follows referring to entrance and exit beams to a prism or optical system. An entrance beam and an exit beam are “angularly separated” when the incident beam to the roof prism and the exit beam from the roof prism are not parallel or if parallel the entrance beam and exit beam are on different sides of the roof prism. The term “parallel” as used herein includes “anti-parallel” or 180 degree rotation. Angularly separated by a “substantial angle” refers to an exit beam angularly separated from the exit beam by ±30 to 90 degrees.
The term “roof prism” as used herein refers to a prism including a roof or two reflecting faces, the two reflecting faces mutually perpendicular or intersecting at ninety degrees, wherein the incident beam to the roof prism and the exit beam from the roof prism are not parallel or, if parallel, the entrance beam and exit beam are on different sides of the roof prism or the incident beam to the roof prism and the exit beam from the roof prism are angularly separated by a substantial angle. A Porro prism used in U.S. Pat. No. 6,429,423 is not a “roof prism” as used herein, because the incident and exit beams to a Porro prism are parallel (rotated by 180 degrees) and are on the same side of the Porro prism.
The term “dimension” of a roof prism as used herein is substantially equal to the length of the optical path within the roof prism.
The term “plane of symmetry” as used herein referring to a roof prism is a plane of bilateral symmetry including the line of intersection of the two reflecting faces forming the roof of the prism. The “plane of symmetry” is equivalent to or coplanar with the plane formed by the incident and exiting optical axes.
The term “multi-dimensional scanning” as used herein includes linear scanning in more than one dimension, particularly linear scanning over area and volume. The term “lateral” as in “lateral direction” of scanning as used herein refers to scanning in a plane (such as in x and y Cartesian directions) and the term “longitudinal” as in “longitudinal” direction refers to scanning (such as in the z Cartesian direction ) perpendicular to the plane of lateral scanning.
The terms “incident” and “entrance” are used herein interchangeably when referring to a beam entering an optical system.